Why? Why did it have to be her? She was supposed to hate him for this. Even be scared of him. Maybe that was made him yearn for her in the first place. She wasn't what he or anyone else thought she should be.

Draco never understood what he was getting himself into when he walked into the library late one night. But maybe in time, he would. A sixth year fic of growing up and letting go of everything he knew of.

Hermione could not belive the nerve of Malfoy. He had mocked her, taunted her, and then he said something that had confounded her. Was he playing some sick joke on her? Did he feel pity for her, the Mudblood?

She scowled. Now was not the time to question the action and inner workings of Malfoy, of all people.

But despite that, her trhoughts revolved around him. His words about ron bugged her to no end. How did he know of her feelings for her red-haired friend, while ron remained completely clueless to them? How many others knew, if Malfoy knew? Harry? Parkinson? Merlin forbid, Snape? She cringed at the mental image of her ex-Slytherin professor knowing her personal feelings.

And to be caught crying in front of Malfoy, having him see her in a weak vunerable state, just made the situation that much worse.

When she told him it wasn't Ron she was crying over, Hermione did not expect him to go any further in with it. She had simply told Malfoy that so if he decided to gossip around the school about finding her crying, he would not have the school thinking Ron had broken her heart.

She had been crying for a different reason. Something that had nothing to do with Ron, but everything to do with her family.

It had to do with her with her parents and how she had almost nothing to do with them in hte past few years. Letters between her and her parents had become less and aless frequent and with almost no content to them besides happy lies and test scores and ending with a sweet Love, Hermione written half way down the parchment. It was about her mother's health and the war, and never seeing them in the summer or during Christmas . This was something she was so sure Malfoy wouldn't care about...and yet he had blown her mind away and acted as the total one-eighty of himself.

At least through part of their encounter. He had teased Hermione and called her mudblood as per usual, but there was this part of the part conversation , however small the part may have been, when she would hav e sworn he had been...afraid it was she who had cancer. and then the look of pure relief when she denied the idea.

And now she was alone with only her confused thoughts. Malfoy had left little under and an hour ago, only minutes after she had told him it was her mother dieing of cancer.

He hadn't laughed and said some crass, vile comment abvout asking to watch her mother die. Ther was no smirk and remark about how it would lead to one less muggle that needed to be kill. His last words, which echoed in her mind, were very different from expected.

Somehow, I wish it had been Weasel breaking your heart.

What on earth had he meant by that oddly back-handed sentiment? Had he meant he felt sorry for her? That he took pity on her? Well, she thought, I don't wanted nor need his bloody pity.

Her thoughts began to focus on her mother and her eyes involuntarily clouded with tears at the thought of her once strong, independent mother. Was she doing well? how far and the cancer spread since the letter was sent? If she had known, could her magic have saved her mother? Would she every see her mother?

It hurt Hermione that her parents had decided not to tell her sooner, when they first learned of the disease during the previous summer. Granted she had barely spent anytime at her home since first year, she was still their daughter--their only daughter. It made her feel unimportant in their eyes.

You looked so happy for the first time in so long, we decided to keep it from you.

Their reason only trouble her further. Had she truly appeared so distressed that they would feel obliiged to hide this from her? She din't remmeber nor feeling happy, just very worried about parents not being magical and Harry.

Hermionje un-crumple the letter in her hands, and read the words that she had already memoried from reading the parchment a million times at day.

Dearest Hermione,

your mother and I miss you so much. You are so smart and beautful--both traits you thankful took from your mother--and we just wanted to tell you how proud we are of you. We can't wait for you to come home during Christmas break! It will be a gift from heaven to see you again.

There is however no easy way to tell this to you, even on paper. During the previous summer, you looked so happy for the first time in so long, we decided to keep this from you. But now, it's become much more serious than we hoped.

Your mother was diagnosed with leukemia on May fourteenth of last year. The cancer went away for a little while, but now it's back and has stronger, attacking her heart and lungs. She was hospitalized last night. The doctors have no idea how fast the cancer is spreading, but they say she'll be okay for now.

I'm so sorry, Princess, for not telling you sooner. your mother and I were truthfully hoping the cancer would be terminated so you would never have to know or worry. Please do not think it is because we do not just you, because we do. We love you so much Princess.
Your mum can not wait for Christmas to come and neither can I. See you soon Princess!

Love,

Dad

Her thoughts were interupted by the chiming of the clock Tower. It was probably clost o three or four am by noy, Hermione reckoned as she gathered her reading materials and essays for classes that would be starting in a few hours. The letter was folded neatly in her robe's inner pocket, safe and sound. With a large yawn, Hermione told herself she need no more all nighters, or her studies were going to reflect it.

Thankfully, Hermione wasn't discovered on her way back form the library. the Fast Lady was naturally very cross when Hermione had woken her up from whata seemed to be a pleasant dream. Yet when the fat lady realized who it was that had woken her up, the painted guardian's cross expression softenedto one of concern. Hermione laughed with the painting and promised everything was fine. Just lost track of time is all, she explained, not a trace of guilt or sadness on her face.

The girls in her dormitory were all still in dreamland, and thankfully were not awakened when she opened the door. Crookshanks (her half-kneazle) was however nestled fast asleep...on her pillow. Stupid cat! She thought as she yanked her pillow gently out from under the sleeping creature. He let out a sharp hiss as he woke up, but it went unnoticed by the six year girls. Moodily, he moved over so his owner could lie down as well. Hermione, exhausted from grief, fell asleep the moment shee layed down. But as both she and Draco would find it, morning came much to soon.

^^^

The sun never so much as shot one bright ray down in the Slytherin dormitory. Though it was never cold thanks to a blazing fire and piping system in each room, waking up was even harder because there was never enough light to fully wake up in hte mornings. Draco was more than content to sleep the day away in the dark dungeons, and skip classes just so he could finally get some sleep. But as fate would cruely have it, the odds were not in his favor.

"Draco!" Pansy yelled. "If you don't get your lazy arse up, i'll make sure you regret it. You didn't give me a good night kiss, and I'll be damned if I don't recieve a good morning one!" she demaded needily, throwing the blankets off his body. Draco shivered as the morning air made contact with his warm skin.

"Pans, I'm regretfully sorry to tell you that you can't recieve a good morning kiss if it isn't a good morning," he mumbled to her, smirking, before throwing his much loved coveres back over his body and snuggled into his pillow.

"Then I'll just have to make it one then," she sad suggestivly before crawling into Draco's bed.

Pansy straddled his backside and pulled the covers away from his neck to give it kisses. In the back of his mind, he knew Pansy was only acting like any good girlfriend should, as they arrangment called for. In fact, if he wasn't in love with Gr...someone else, he would have bet some good money that his realtioship with Pansy might have been real and not a shaky deal.

Guiltly, he gave Pansy her god morning kiss. It was a good kiss. Laacked the spark needed for a great kiss, but that could have been because every second of it, he was imagining the lips and taste of someone else...

Soon Pansy left to get ready for class. As Draco watched her leave, he noticed Blaise watching her too. While analyzing this, Draco went to get ready himself, wondering if he could play match-maker soon.

"Mr. Malfoy,"

Draco groaned. The lights were too bright and he needed his sleep. He decided whoever was adressing wasn't worth losing his sleep over.

The voice, however didn't get the message, and called again. "Mr. Malfoy, class is over and has been for quite some time. You are missing you lunch hour."

Lunch. The word caught his attention. Having no more than some apples and pumpkin juice in the last whatever hours had him hungry. His stomach rumbled in agreement. Slowly, he lifted hs head an inch, his eyes opening slowly. to his surprise, he saw that he wasn't in his room, but an empty classroom. Well, almost empty.

Professor McGonagall, stood in front of his desk, one impatient foot tapping. Her cat shaped eyes glared at him. "Care to explain why you thought it was accpetable to sleep through my lessons? I understand that this year had a great deal more to handle than your previous years of schooling, but even i did not expect this kind of thing from you. Perhaps you should spend less time with your little frind, Mr Parkinson, and a little more time in your bed actually sleeping so that one of you may pass?"

Draco looked down sheepishly, even though he hadn't done anything like that with Pansy since the end of summer. Just having a professor thinking you were doing...it last night was emabarrassing.

"Now, before you leave, I want you to reconsider your decision to leave the Quidditch team the year you are awarded as Captain and I also want you to not quit being a Prefect--Dumbledore must have given you those privieges for a reason. Are you sure you won't wait until Christmas?"

Angry that she wouldn't leave his personal business alone, he snapped suddenly, like a rubberband being streched too far,"Why else would I fucking quit if I wasn't sure, unless I wanted to?"

"Do not take that tone or lauguage with me, Mr. Malfoy. I was asking you to revaluateyour decisions. Resigning from places of power such as being a prefect is not like the ambitious person I know you are."

I updated! I'm so sorry for the wait, my life's been way busier that expected, and next week my school start up so updates might be fast or slow. Please don't think I'm abondoning you if it takes until Thanksginvng to update again. Though hopefully it won't take that long.
Thanks to Dashaaugust7, quirkycharm, ltfsirius, Dark Whisper, Mischief, Andreaa, and Angel_Princess87 for reviewing chapter two. Thanks so much for the support!
Reviews are love! Send me love, a.k.a reviews.

Disclaimer:
Me: Who owns Harry Potter?
Draco: Can't hold us down! Who sings that song? Anyone?
Snape: Ten points off Slytherin for getting Christina Aguilera's song stuck in my head and anotehr for not knowing that Harry Potter belongs to J. K. Rowling.
Draco and Dumbledore: This for for my girls around the world who've came across a man who don't respect your worth!